zimmer



(No Model.) F. W. ZIMMER' 2 SheetsSheet 1. v

APPARATUS FOR SOAKING AND STRETOHING GELATINE COATED SHEETS.

PatntedOot. 2. 1888 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. W. ZIMMER.

APPARATUS FOR SOAKING AND STRETGHING GELATINE GOATED SHEETS.

No.390,429. Patented00t.2,1888.

j Snow V601 PATENT rrrcn.

FREDERICK XV. ZIMMER, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR SOAKING AND STRETCHING GELATlNE-COATED SHEETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,429, dated October 2, 1888.

Application filed April 12, 1887. Serial No. 234,711. (No model.)

Patented in England July 21, 1887, No. 10,215.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK WILLIAM ZIMMER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing in the city and county of New York, and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Soaking and Stretching GelatineCoated Sheets for Autographic Printing, (which was patented in England July 21, 1887, numbered 10,215,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in frames for soaking and stretching gelatinized parchment-sheets for autographic copying; and my improvements consist in such features of construction, ar-. rangement, and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter more particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

The improvements are more especially directed to the means by which the parchmentframe is supported above the stretchingpanel for allowing the gelatinized parchment to be depressed in the form of a tray or basin for holding the water for soaking it, and to the devices for drawing the frame downwardly toward the supportingbase by which to effect the stretching of the gelatinized parchmentsheet after the saturating-fluid has been poured off, all as will more fully appear from the dc scription in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of an apparatus embodying my improvements, wherein the parchment-stretching frame is represented as elevated upon its supports to allow the parchment-sheet to be depressed into the form of a tray or basin, as indicated; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof showing the basin formed by the parchment. Fig. 3 is a perspective View representing the supports for the tray as being turned outwardly, and showing the manner in which the frame containing the soaked parchment or other sheet is suspended upon the panel preparatory to being drawn downwardly for effecting the stretching of such sheet. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the same, wherein are represented the devices preferably employed for drawing the parchment frame down to the supporting base or table by which the parchment or other sheet is stretched; and Fig. 5 shows a view like Fig, 2, with the parchment-sheet sup ported in position to be clamped preparatory to being stretched.

Reference being bad to the several parts by the letters marked thereon, the apparatus or device for holding the parchment or other sheet consists of a rectangular open frame,A, having on one side or surface thereofa molding, a, and a similar open frame, B, hinged thereto, whose opposite side is sunken or recessed to receive or accommodate such molding, (see letter (1,) the two frames being hinged together, as shown at e, and provided with a corresponding hook and eye by which they may be clamped and fastened when closed together, as seen in Fig. 3.

0 represents a stretching-panel over which the frames are fitted for use, and is of a height somewhat greater than the thickness of the two frames A and B when closed together and placed upon the supporting table or base. The said stretching-panel may consist of a solid block or of a flat piece of wood or other suitable material, provided either at its sides or corners with suitable legs for supporting the same, its upper edges being preferably sloped or beveled, as shown, by which, when the parchment or other sheet is being stretched, no tearing or cutting tendency will occur.

D represents the supporting base or table for the frame and panel, to which the devices for elevating the frame above the stretchingpanel are attached or secured. I may effect the support of such frame in various ways; but preferably I employ the means herein shown, which consist of two blocks arranged at two opposite ends of the said base or table, (see letters E and E,) each pair of blocks being hinged together in such manner as to be folded one on top of the other, and one block of each pair being hinged, as at n, in such manner as to be folded down upon the base. Although I have shown and described the blocks as being arranged at the ends of the supporting base or table, it is evident that others may be employed at the opposite sides, or they may be otherwise conveniently arranged for effecting the object sought, the arrangement described and represented being that preferred.

For effecting the stretching of the parchment or other sheet, I may resort to various forms of devices; but preferably I provide an eye, m, secured to the top of frame B in such manner as to project beyond the edge thereof, as shown, and to the base D, I secure a nut, I), whose screwthreaded opening or aperture registers with a similar opening, 0, formed in said base. Down through the eye projecting beyond the side of the frame B, I pass a small bolt, .9, having a milled head, t, and whose lower extremity is screw-threaded and enters the nut. The length of the said bolt must be such that when the lower end enters the nut the milled head will rest on the top of the projecting eye, and it will be seen that by simply turning the bolt the two frames A and B will be drawn downwardly to the supporting base or table D and thus firmly held until the parchment or other sheet has been suffieiently stretched over and upon the panel.

For the purpose of facilitating the drainage of the water from the tray formed by depressing the parchmentsheet in the soaking operation, a suitable gate, a, Fig. 1, is pivoted in the molding of the frame A, by the opening of which, after the frame B has been turned upwardly, a suitable gutter may be formed by pressing the parchment-sheet down into the recess formed in the molding a when the gate is opened in like manner as when depressing the parchment to form the tray, and in this way can the water be poured off into any suitable receptacle.

The operation is as follows: In effecting the stretching of the parchment or other sheet, the blocks E E ateaeh end of the supporting-base are folded down and upon each other in such manner as to permit the frames A B to rest thereon, elevated above the top of the stretching-panel, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2, and the said parchment-sheet is then depressed into the'form of a basin or tray upon the frame A, and then water is poured into the tray thus formed until the sheet has become sufficiently soaked. The gate a is then turned outwardly and the gutter formed in the manner described by which to drain off the water. After this the gate is turned inwardly in place, the upper block, E, turned down level with the lower one, so as to bring the top of the frames A B level with the panel, and the two frames folded together and secured to clamp the parchment between them, and then the blocks E E at each end of the base are turned upwardly and outwardlyin such manner as to remove the support of the frames when they are pressed downwardly being suspended upon the panel for effecting the stretching of the parchment or other sheet thereon. It will be seen that before pressing the frames downwardly toward the base they will be slightly elevated above the latter by reason of the parchment or other sheet acting to suspend them upon the stretching block or panel. When the frames have been pressed downwardly, and the parchmentsheet thereby partially stretched, the bolt 8 is turned to secure the frames down upon the base for such length of time as is necessary to effect a thorough stretching, after which the copying or transfers of writings and the like may be effected.

I claim 1. The base or table D, provided with two sets of double blocks, E E, each set hinged together at their ends, so as to be folded, one of which blocks being hinged to said base to allow both to be swung together, as described, in combination with the panel and the stretching-frames, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the base D, having the two sets of hinged blocks E E, of the frames A and B and the panel, constructed as described, and means, substantially as described, for binding or securing said frames to the base around the panel, substantially as described.

3. In apparatus for soaking and stretching sheets for autographic copying, the fixed panel C, in combination with the two sets of blocks E E, each set being hinged together at their ends and to the base, so as to be folded and adjusted, as described, the hinged frames A and B, and a clamp consisting of the eye-brackets m m, fixed to and projecting from the opposite sides of the frame B, the nuts I) b, fixed to the base, and the thumbbolts s s, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

4. The combination of the panel, its base,

and the frame A with the adjustable sectional blocks adapted for supporting the said frame A at different levels in relation to the surface of the panel, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of the base D, having the panel 0, the hinged blocks E E at twoop; posite ends of the .panel, and the fixed nuts b at the other sides of the panel with the frames A and B, having the clamping parts on s, the said hinged blocks being adapted to be turned up out of the way when the stretching-frame is clamped to the base, substantially as de scribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK \V. ZIMMEB.

\Vitnesses:

F. SCHMIDT, J. D. SIMMoNDs. 

